πόθεν

I. interrog. Adv. whence?

1. of Place, εἰρώτα . . , τίς εἴη καὶ π. ἔλθοι Od. 15.423; ποδαπὸς ὁ ξένος; π.; A. Ch. 657; ποῖ δὴ καὶ π.; Pl. Phdr. 227a: c. gen., τίς π. εἰς ἀνδρῶν; Il. 21.150, Od. 1.170, al.; κ. τῆς Φρυγίης ἥκων; Hdt. 1.35; π. γῆς ἦλθες; E. Ion 258, etc.

2. of origin, π. γένος εὔχεται εἶναι from what stock he avows that he is by descent, Od. 17.373; τὴν . . τέχνην πῶς καὶ π. ἄν τις δύναιτο πορίσασθαι; Pl. Phdr. 269d; π. ἄλλοθεν . .; D. 3.28: c. gen., π. ποτὲ . . θνητῶν ἔφυσαν; E. Supp. 841.

3. in speaking, π. ἄρξωμαι; A. Ch. 855 (anap.); π. ἂν λάβοιμι ῥῆμα; Ar. Pax 521, etc.

4. of the cause, whence? wherefore? π. χοὰς ἔπεμψεν; ἐκ τίνος λόγου; A. Ch. 515; to express surprise or negation, π. γὰρ ἔσται βιοτά; i.e. οὐδαμόθεν, S. Ph. 1159 (lyr.); π. υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἐστιν; Ev.Marc. 12.37; πόθεν; how can it be? impossible! nonsense! E. Ph. 1620, Ar. V. 1145, Ra. 1455; σὺ δ’ ὁμέστιος θεοῖς; π.; Id. Fr. 655; ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα· πόθεν; πολλοῦ γε καὶ δεῖ D. 18.47, cf. 24.157, etc.; π. γάρ; E. Alc. 781.

5. with Verbs of finding, taking, purchasing, etc., π. ἂν πριαίμην ῥῖνα; Ar. Pax 21; π. ἄν τις τοῦτο τὸ χρῖμα λάβοι; X. Smp. 2.4; π. πρᾷον . . ἦθος εὑρήσομεν; Pl. R. 375c, cf. Euthd. 273e, al.; so κάθησθε κλάοντες περὶ τῆς αὔριον π. φάγητε Arr. Epict. 1.9.19.

II. ποθέν, enclit. Adv. from some place or other, εἴ π. Il. 9.380; εἰ καί π. ἄλλοθεν ἔλθοι Od. 7.52, cf. 5.490; φανεὶς . . π. A. Pers. 354; ἦλθέ π. σωτήρ Id. Ch. 1073 (anap.); ἐκ δρυός π. ἢ ἐκ πέτρας Pl. R. 544d; ἐκ βιβλίου π. ἀκούσας from some book or other, Id. Phdr. 268c, cf. 244d; after ἐνθένδε, ἐντεῦθεν, ib.229b, 270a, etc.